Incidence and characteristics of early childhood wheezing, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2004–2010

BACKGROUND: Early childhood wheezing substantially impacts quality of life in high-income countries, but data are sparse on early childhood wheezing in low-income countries. We estimate wheezing incidence, describe wheezing phenotypes, and explore the contribution of respiratory viral illnesses among children aged <5 years in urban Bangladesh. METHODS: During 2004-2010, respiratory illness surveillance was conducted through weekly home visits. Children with fever or respiratory illness were referred for examination by study physicians including lung auscultation. During 2005-2007, every fifth referred child had nasal washes tested for human metapneumovirus, respiratory syncytial viruses, and influenza and parainfluenza viruses. RESULTS: During April 2004-July 2010, 23,609 children were enrolled in surveillance. Of these, 11,912 (50%) were male, median age at enrollment was 20 months (IQR…